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East Africa > Tanzania > Southern Tanganyika
Summary
- Eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) are present in Southern Tanganyika.
- It has been estimated that approximately 100 chimpanzees are found in the site.
- The population trend is unknown.
- Key threats to chimpanzees are logging, fires, and agricultural expansion.
- Conservation activities have focused on monitoring the population.
- The area holds the most southerly wild chimpanzee population in Africa.
Site characteristics
The site is located in western Tanzania, along the southern shores of Lake Tanganyika. The chimpanzee population in this area represents the most southerly wild chimpanzee population in Africa (TAWIRI 2018). The region contains large tracts of intact woodland characterised by Brachystegia sp. and Julbernardia spp. that provide high-quality habitat for a variety of species, including chimpanzees, savanna elephants and zebras (TAWIRI 2018).
Table 1. Basic site information for Southern Tanganyika
| Area | |
| Coordinates | -7.937187 S, 30.970704 E |
| Designation | Unclassified |
| Habitat types | Subtropical/tropical dry forest, subtropical/tropical dry grassland |
IUCN habitat categories Site designations
Ape status
Approximately 100 chimpanzees survive in the area, which spans from the south of Kipili to the north of Kalambo Falls, across two protected areas i.e., Lwafi Game Reserve and Loasi Forest Reserve. However, most of them are found outside protected areas (TAWIRI 2018).
Table 2. Ape population estimates in Southern Tanganyika
| Species | Year | Abundance estimate (95% CI) | Density estimate [ind./ km²] (95% CI) | Encounter rate (nests/km) | Area | Method | Source | Comments | A.P.E.S. database ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii |
Threats
Chimpanzees in the area are highly threatened by habitat loss. Destruction and degradation of their habitat, especially loss of riparian forest, comes from the expansion of agricultural activities and logging for timber and charcoal production (TAWIRI 2018).
Table 3. Threats to apes in Southern Tanganyika
| Category | Specific threats | Threat level | Quantified severity | Description | Year of threat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Residential & commercial development | Unknown | ||||
| 2. Agriculture & aquaculture | 2.1 Annual & perennial non-timber crops | High | Forests and grasslands are cleared for commercial agriculture (WCS n.d., TAWIRI 2018). | Ongoing (2018) | |
| 3. Energy production & mining | Unknown | ||||
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | Unknown | ||||
| 5. Biological resource use | 5.3 Logging & wood harvesting | High | Logging related to charcoal and timber production (WCS n.d., TAWIRI 2018). | Ongoing (2018) | |
| 6. Human intrusion & disturbance | Unknown | ||||
| 7. Natural system modifications | 7.1 Fire & fire suppression | Present, but threat severity unknown | Uncontrolled fires (WCS n.d.). | Ongoing | |
| 8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases | Unknown | ||||
| 9. Pollution | Unknown | ||||
| 10. Geological Events | Absent | ||||
| 11. Climate change & severe weather | Unknown | ||||
| 12. Other options | Absent |
Conservation activities
The area is included in WCS' Southern Highlands Conservation Program, which was set up in 2000 to conserve key upland habitats and endangered species across southwest Tanzania (WCS n.d.). Chimpanzees are the focus of research and monitoring along the southern shores of Lake Tanganyika, and the first nationwide census and assessment of their habitat has been performed (WCS n.d.). The IUCN's "Eastern Chimpanzee Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan 2010–2020" and the "Tanzania Chimpanzee Conservation Action Plan 2018-2023" identified southern Tanganyka as an important target for conservation actions (TAWIRI 2018, Plumptre et al. 2010).
Table 4. Conservation activities in Southern Tanganyika
| Category | Specific activity | Description | Year of activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Residential & commercial development | Not reported | ||
| 2. Agriculture & aquaculture | Not reported | ||
| 3. Energy production & mining | Not reported | ||
| 4. Transportation & service corridors | Not reported | ||
| 5. Biological resource use | Not reported | ||
| 6. Human intrusion & disturbance | Not reported | ||
| 7. Natural system modifications | Not reported | ||
| 8. Invasive & other problematic species, genes, diseases | Not reported | ||
| 9. Pollution | Not reported | ||
| 10. Education & Awareness | Not reported | ||
| 11. Habitat Protection | Not reported | ||
| 12. Species Management | Not reported | ||
| 13. Livelihood; Economic & Other Incentives | Not reported |
Conservation activities list (Junker et al. 2017)
Challenges
Table 5. Challenges reported for Southern Tanganyika
| Challenge | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
Research activities
Documented behaviours
Table 6. Ape behaviors reported for Southern Tanganyika
| Behavior | Source |
|---|---|
| Not reported |
External links
Relevant datasets
References
TAWIRI. (2018). Tanzania Chimpanzee Conservation Action Plan 2018-2023. TAWIRI Contact: info@tawiri.or.tz
WCS (n.d.). Landscapes: The Southern Highlands. https://tanzania.wcs.org/Landscapes/Southern-Highlands.aspx
Plumptre, A.J., Rose, R., Nangendo, G., Williamson, E.A., Didier, K., Hart, J., Mulindahabi, F., Hicks, C., Griffin, B., Ogawa, H., Nixon, S., Pintea, L., Vosper, A., McClennan, M., Amsini, F., McNeilage, A., Makana, J.R., Kanamori, M., Hernandez, A., Piel, A., Stewart, F., Moore, J., Zamma, K., Nakamura, M., Kamenya, S., Idani, G., Sakamaki, T., Yoshikawa, M., Greer, D., Tranquilli, S., Beyers, R., Furuichi, T., Hashimoto, C. and Bennett, E. (2010). Eastern Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii): Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan 2010–2020. IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland. 52pp.
Page completed by: A.P.E.S. Wiki team Date: 14/11/2021